Bedding a ruger m77?

[brobinson]

Hey guys, I'm working on my uncles ruger m77, getting my feet wet on refinishing a stock. Now I'm familiar with bedding remington and savage rifles, but I was a little put off on the ruger that the front action screw,(the one that screws in at around a 45 degree angle) screws into the back of the recoil lug. I was curious if any of the more experienced guys had any tips on how to bed this rifle, same steps as the rems and savages? Or something different. Thanks in advance guys!

[Leeper]

I bed Rugers much as I do anything else. For the front screw, I drill a 5/8 hole from the bottom through the recoil lug mortise. For rear screw I drill a 1/2 inch hole up from the bottom. Whether or not one does anything with the center screw is up to him. It's better to just leave it. I remove a bunch of wood behind the recoil lug and up the sides of the stock to within about 1/16 of the top. At the tang I clean out the finish around where the tang will sit. I remove the floorplate from the hinge plate and apply masking tape to cover the holes in the hinge plate. I apply release agent to the screws, hinge plate, and trigger guard then put them in place and hold them there with masking tape.
I wrap masking tape around the barrel at the forend tip and put a layer on the bottom of the receiver at the location of the center screw. I put a layer or two at the back of the tang. I apply release to the receiver, the outside of the stock, and the magazine cutout. The release on the stock makes clean-up a bit easier.
I mix my compound (I use acraglas liquid) and add fiberglas to get the right thickness. I pour and poke compound down around the front and rear screws. I work a piece of wire up and down to make sure there are no voids. When I'm pretty confident the pillars are poured, I add more fiberglas to thicken the mix and put compound in place at the recoil lug and at the tang. I Put some compound on the receiver right behind the recoil lug. I set the barreled action in the stock and engage the rear and front screws. I tighten both until the trigger guard and hinge plate are both held in place and the receiver is sitting on the tape on the bottom of the receiver and the tape at the forend tip. The screws are tightened until they just start to pull down then they are backed offan eighth turn or so. If you want, you can hold the barrel down with surgical tubing or electricians tape at the forend tiip. The idea, of course is to end up withe two fiberglas pillars and the action sitting there stress free. Simple enough. Let harden, take apart, clean up, etc. etc. etc. Reinstall the trigger parts re-assemble the rifle and there you go. The rear screw locates the action while bedding. The front screw only holds the hinge plate in place. Leeper

[brobinson]

Thanks for the reply leeper, so if I'm following correctly, you apply some release agent to the front and rear action screws and then pour a pillar around it? Do the screws come out relatively easy afterward?

[forgesmith]

Originally Posted by brobinson

Thanks for the reply leeper, so if I'm following correctly, you apply some release agent to the front and rear action screws and then pour a pillar around it? Do the screws come out relatively easy afterward?

I am going to do my M77 custom Barrel 6.5-06, I was wondering the same thing.
this is a bit more than the regular types of actions but your explanation is great, I think this will help a lot.

[Leeper]

They come out fine. If you are real concerned, break the screws loose at about the three hour mark of the cure (assuming the use of Acraglas; other compounds may require different timing) by just turning them out a bit and back. If you are bedding a rifle with screws which have rolled threads (threads bigger than the shank) you can use electricians tape of, better yet, shrinkfit tubing on the screws behind the threads. I have been bedding rifles this way for about forty years. I got the basic technique from Art Bourne but Art hadn't dealt with the Rugers. It turned out to be no big deal. I often read where guys complain bitterly about the difficulties around that angled screw (thirty degrees, by the way) but it is really not a seriois problem. Leeper

[brobinson]

Thanks again leeper! You're tips and tricks are very much appreciated!

[saskbooknut]

I have bedded an inch of the barrel in front of the action as well with Rugers due to the angled torque of that front screw.